


Christmas Party Dare

by mrgoldsdearie



Category: Gotham (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Office, Christmas Party, Fluff, M/M, Office Party
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-11-24
Updated: 2018-11-24
Packaged: 2019-08-28 20:40:33
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,805
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16730253
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/mrgoldsdearie/pseuds/mrgoldsdearie
Summary: Nygmobblepot Office Coworkers AU — Oswald has a crush on Edward and after years of working together he finally has the courage to tell him how he feels during the office Christmas party tonight. A game of Truth or Dare might get in the way of Oswald’s confession.





	Christmas Party Dare

**Author's Note:**

> During the month of December, I’ll be writing a series of short stories for my friends as their holiday gifts. This is the first of me giving back to the love I’ve received this year from my fandom friends. 
> 
> To: @Krandomroleplayer - You are the newest of my friends. But during the short time I’ve known you, you have gotten closer to my heart. You are an amazing artist and I enjoy watching your skills grow with each sneak peek you send me. Thank you so much for being a good friend to me. I hope this story makes you as happy as it made me writing it for you. I hope you have the happiest of holidays! 
> 
> I ask for a prompt as your gift and you sent me this: nygmobblepot real life au; Oswald and Ed are coworkers in an office. Oswald tries to confess to Ed during multiple office Christmas party activities.

For six years Oswald has worked at the GCPD; Gotham City’s Printer Depo. The company where all the cities printers, fax machines, and photocopiers are produced and then sold through a telemarketing service. Six years he’s worked in this dull office, answering phone calls, printing off sales reports for Mr. James Gordon, jr Vice President of this division in the company. He dreads to show up for work every day, but he manages to do so even if it kills him a little inside.

However, there is one saving grace at this dead end job. One shimmering light at the end of this paper pushing tunnel. And that man’s name is Edward Nygma.

Edward works just two cubicles across from Oswald. He’s the epitome of hard work, intelligence, and beauty. There’s never a day where he’s late or sick and he always answers the phone with a smile on his face, which Oswald finds attractive and a little suspicious. Either this man really loves this job or he’s very fucking good at faking it. Nevertheless, Edward is a kind man who’s hard work has been unnoticed by the company for years, but not by Oswald Cobblepot.

Oswald has found it hard to express his growing feelings for his coworker. He’s sat on his feelings, smothering them, for the past four years since Edward had started working in the office. He’s tried to tell Edward numerous times about the way he feels, but it always ends in disaster. The worst attempt was two years ago on Valentine’s Day when Oswald had bought Edward a card with a small batch of sugar cookies. Edward had mistaken Isabella Flint to be the one to have given him the gifts. The smug bitch, of course, took the credit and even dated Edward for a week before she was offered another position in the company. Oswald regents never stepping up and taking the credit for the gifts, but he got his revenge by busting his ass to play a part in making sure Isabelle got the job in New York. Which permanently separated her from her new beau. Watching her saygoodbye to her friends in the office was one of Oswald’s proudest moments.

But all of Oswald’s bitterness and beating around the bush will end tonight. He has plans to try again. He’s going to the office Christmas party to finally tell Edward the truth about the way he feels for him.

*

*

*

“Oswald,” Edward says, leaning over the wall of his coworker’s cubicle.

Oswald sighs pleasantly at the sound of that graceful voice and looks up at Edward with dreamy eyes from behind his computer screen.  “Yes, Mr. Nygma?”

“You don’t have to call me that,” Edward chuckles.

“Oh, I’m sorry, Ed…” Oswald apprehensively replies, rubbing the back of his head. “Ed…. Ed is alright, right? Or do you like Edward? I really don’t want to call you the wrong thing because there was a guy who worked here before you and his name was Robert but hated being called Bobby and…”

“It’s okay, Oswald,” Edward cut off Oswald’s rambling. Not because he didn’t want to hear it, but he somehow knew that the word vomit was Oswald’s nervousness. He’s noticed that Oswald gets a little jittery around him. He isn’t sure why— he has a few ideas— but he tries not to mention it for the sake of not making anything more awkward between them.  “Edward or Ed is fine.”

“Alright.” Oswald nods and takes a deep breath to calm himself. “What can I help you with, Ed?”

“Well, the office party is tonight…”

 _Holy hell!_ Oswald’s heart races faster. Is Edward going to ask him out tonight?

“... and Mr. Gordon wanted me to go pick up the cake and spirits for tonight, but I don’t have the time because I’m a little backed up on work. So he said if I could find someone else to do it that that would be okay… So I thought of you since you’re always on top of things around here,” Edward says with a smile, timidly running his finger across the dusty metal of the edge of Oswald’s cubicle. “Can you do it for me, Oswald? I’ll happily pay you back.”

Oswald blinks, heart, sinking to the pit of his stomach. How could he have been so hopeful? “Y-Yeah… S-Sure…” he stammers. “I’ll be— I’ll be glad to help. Yeah.” He nods with a smile forced on his face, a bit of himself dying with every word. “Yeah, okay.”

“Are you sure, Oswald?” Edward asks, concern on his features. He can’t really tell if Oswald’s agreement to help is genuine or not. “I could just ask Foxy if you’re busy.”

 _Foxy? Foxy? Foxy?_ What the hell did Lucius Fox ever do to gain a nickname from Edward? So what he helped Edward get to work for that week his car was in repair. So what he took over Edward’s shift when he had jury duty. And as far as office gossip goes, they have kissed once, twice, maybe three fucking times but nothing ever came of it because both of them think they’re better as friends. At least, that's what Oswald heard from Barbara Kean, the office blabbermouth, and some of her stories have turned out to be falsities. All of that, however, is irrelevant. Where the hell is Oswald’s endearing nickname!?

“No. No!” Oswald says clearly, quickly standing up from his desk chair. “I can do it. No problem at all.”

“Wow, Oswald, thank you.” Edward smiles, very pleased with the help. “You’re just the best.” He reaches into the breast pocket of his suit and pulls out a few folded papers. “So here’s where to pick up the cake.” He gives Oswald the paper with the address to the bakery. “Here’s the liquor store holding our order.” He hands him the second note. “And here’s the place catering the party. You’re to make sure they made vegetarian options or Ivy will have a fit. Those are Mr. Gordon’s words, not mine.” Edward chortles.

“So there are three places?” Oswald asks.

“Yes, I’m sorry. I forgot about the catering place until I pulled out the papers… It's not too much to ask, is it, Oswald?”

“No, it’s fine. I just needed to make sure.”

“Oh, thank you so much. You’re such a lifesaver!” Edward steps up and quickly hugs Oswald, and before Oswald could wrap his arms around him or breath in his scent from being ever so close together, Edward lets go and returns to his cubicle.

 _Dammit!_ Oswald regrets not being fast enough to fully embrace their connection.

He stares at Edward’s cubicle, basking in the phantom touch around him before sighing and grabbing his coat.

“Just fuck the guy, Oswald,” Jerome Valeska says, sitting at his cubicle next to Oswald’s. He’s been listening to their conversation like he always does. He’s the only person who has noticed Oswald’s crush on Edward. “If I have to listen to your horrible flirting and your mind thinking very, _very,_ loudly about the things you want to do to him, I’m gonna puke on your keyboard.”

“Shut up, Valeska,” Oswald barks and swings his coat over his shoulders before rushing out to run the party errands.

*

*

*

It’s an hour into the office party and the only difference between the people that Oswald sees every day is that tonight over half of them are piss drunk. All Oswald wants to do is focus on what he needs to say to Edward, but people like Jerome, Ivy, and Bridget are trying to get him involved with their drunk party shenanigans.

“We have to play Truth or Dare,” Ivy slurs, taking the last drink from her champagne glass.

“Oh, no... No. No. No,” Oswald refuses, shaking his head. “I couldn’t possibly…”

“Did I hear the words Truth or Dare over here,” Edward unintentionally interrupts Oswald’s statement as he stands up from his desk. He was finishing a bit of last minute work before finally joining the party. Honestly, with Christmas music blasting this loud, how could Edward get any work completed. The mention of Truth or Dare, however, was far too tempting to pass up on.

“Yes! Yes, we were!” Oswald immediately changes his views on the game since Edward seemed so excited about it. “We were just about to play. Are you joining us, Ed?”

“Of course I am!” Edward steps out from his cubicle. “Just let me get a drink and I’ll be ready.” He rushes off to the refreshments table to pour himself a glass of wine.

“You were going to refuse to play before he hopped up,” Jerome noted.

“So what?” Oswald argues, shrugging his shoulder. “People change their minds all the time, but when I do it there has to be a point made about it.”

“Oh no.” Jerome shakes his head. “There’s no point that needs to be made. This only means that I have a lot of saucy questions to ask you,” he adds with a wicked smile plastered on his features.

The ladies laugh in amusement. They can’t wait to see what’s in store for the game.

Edward returns to the group with two glasses of wine. “Here, Oswald, I noticed yours was empty.”

Oswald beams, accepting the glass from his coworker. “Thank you so much, Ed.” He rests his empty glass on the edge of the cubicle next to him.

“You’re welcome,” he says with a charming grin.

“My glass is empty too, but you didn’t bring me anything,” Ivy complains, swirling her glass in front of Edward.

“Oh, I’m sorry I didn’t mean to forget…”

“It’s alright, Ed,” Oswald cuts into Edward’s apology, defending the honor of the man he’s hoping to be his boyfriend. “Ivy is a big girl. If she wants a drink, she can get it herself.”

Ivy turns her lip up and takes back the glass she was holding out for Ed to fill. “Fine,” she huffs, staring daggers at Oswald. “But don’t you dare start without me. This was my idea.” She flips her long red hair over her shoulder and quickly storms away.

“Let’s start without her,” Jerome snickers as soon as Ivy was out of sight.

“That’s a great idea,” Edward agrees. “How do we know who’s going first?”

“Let’s start with the oldest,” Bridget suggests.

“Great!” Jerome turns to the shorter man with the raven colored hair. “That means you go first, Oswald.”

“Hey!” Oswald squeals, utterly offended. “How do you know I’m the oldest?” He’s taken great lengths to keep up his appearance. There are people in this office that you can tell their age by only one glance at them, but one of those people is not Oswald Chesterfield Cobblepot!

“We all came to your birthday party this year,” Bridget reminded. “You turned thirty-five. Everyone here is still in their twenties or early thirties.”

“Okay, whatever,” Oswald pouts, rolling his eyes and crosses his arms. He just didn’t want to be the one to go first since Jerome has mentions his ‘saucy’ questions. “Just ask me already.”

“I have one for you, Oswald,” Edward chimes in.

Oswald breathes a sigh of relief. Thank fuck it isn’t Jerome asking the first question.

“Alright… Truth or dare?” Edward inquires.

“Truth,” Oswald answers hastily. He wants this man to know nothing but truths about him.

Edward smiles before taking a drink from his glass and asks the question. “Have you ever gave a reason for not showing up to work that was really a lie?”

Oswald chortles to himself before giving an answer. This was an easy one and he was glad. “Yes, I have. I did it last week actually. I didn’t have a doctors appointment to check the progress of my ankle operation. I just wanted to go to the zoo for the opening of the new penguin exhibit.”

Edward's face lights up with laughter. “You’re a naughty boy.” He straightens the glasses on the bridge of his nose.

“I’m the naughtiest,” Oswald chuckles, freckled cheeks tickled pink.

They share this moment of delight while their other coworkers watch confused by how keen they seem to be with each other…. Well, all except for Jerome

“Gross you two,” Jerome says, playfully.

The clown-boy has always known of Oswald’s affections towards Edward but he didn’t think Ed had felt the same until this very moment. It’s a surprise, but at the same time, he should have suspected it. He’s seen Edward staring at Oswald on occasion when walking by the nerdy man’s cubicle. Thinking back at it now, he can sware that he's seen Edward drooling over Oswald’s ass. With this new information, Jerome could have a bit of fun with both of them now.

“Get a room,” he continued his friendly banter.

The men suddenly stop chuckling when Ivy returns to the group.

“You guys started without me?” Ivy complains. “You’re all the worst!”

“Ivy don’t be a baby.” Bridget rolls her eyes. “They’ve only asked one question , geesh.”

“Fine. Whatever…” she says dismissively.  “So who’s next?” She takes a drink of the fruity wine.

The company didn’t seem to spare any expense on the alcoholic beverages this year. Perhaps the office party is their way of showing the employees that they are appreciated, even if they haven’t given out raises in a while.

“Edward is next since he’s the second oldest,” Jerome answers.

“Oh, me?” Edward snickers, pointing to himself. “Well, okay, but I think it’s only fair that Oswald gets to ask.”

“I don’t think I’m ready to ask anything yet,” Oswald kindly declines the offer. It’s not that he doesn’t have any questions for the man, he has dozens of them but hasn’t built up the courage to ask, especially if Edward were to pick truth. “Can someone else go?”

“I will!” Jerome is quick to take up the offer and he clears his voice before starting his turn. “Truth or dare?” He says complacently.

“Umm… I think I’m going to go with a dare.”

Perfect! Now is the time for Jerome to play god and reduce some of the sexual tension between these two. Without hesitation, the jokester of the office immediately demands. “I dare you to kiss him!”

Edward blinks, looking at each person in the group as he chuckles nervously. “K-kiss who?” Sweat suddenly begins misting on his brow and the temperature in the room seems to jump from the Arctic to the scorching fires of Hell.

“The only other him in the circle beside me,” he says with a crooked grin. “Quit playing the fool, Eddie. You know I mean Oswald.”

Oswald’s glass almost slips from his hand as his body starts to tremble once he was confirmed to be the one receiving the kiss.

“Umm… Well…” Edward clears his throat and loosened his tie. It started to feel as though it was tightening around his neck and contracting his breathing. “If—If Oswald is okay with it, th-then I have no ch-choice but  to do it for the sake of the game.”

 _For the sake of the game? Seriously?_ Oswald’s blood started to boil and his cheeks burned a furious shade of crimson. If he was going to get a kiss from Edward he wanted it to be genuine and for Edward to do it willing. Not to earn bro points from his coworkers. He didn’t change his mind about playing the game only to end up in a situation that could be emotionally damaging. How dare Jerome put him in this predicament! How dare Edward agree under these conditions!

“Really, Ed!?” Oswald snaps. “Only for the sake of the game!” He slammed his glass down on the wall of the cubicle and storms away from the group.

“Huh,” Jerome huffs and picks up Oswald’s cup and takes a drink. “I thought he’d be quick to jump your bones after a dare like that.”

“You shouldn’t have brought him back into the game after he wanted to take a pass,” Edward says sternly, masking his own regents over what has happened.

He feels he shouldn’t have said he’d only do it for the game. He really wanted to kiss Oswald. Ed’s always wanted to as long as he could remember, but other relationships had gotten in the way. He thought his fling with Lucius would become something real and he didn’t think Isabella would leave him for a job after only a week. With these circumstances, he was insecure in trying to read how Oswald felt and it always held him back from pursuing anything with him.

Fuck. Now that this game of Truth or Dare has gone to shit after only two questions, Edward thinks any chances between him and Oswald are all screwed at this point, but he has to try to fix it somehow.

“Oswald!” Edward chases after him. “Oswald, please wait.”

“Leave me alone, Edward.” Oswald gathers his coat from the back of his office chair.

“Please,” Edward begs. “Don’t let some silly office Christmas party game be the reason we don’t try.”

“Don’t try what?” He swings his coat over his shoulders. “To kiss and perform like animals in the circus?”

“No, not that.” Edward rests his hands on Oswald’s shoulders, desperate for him not to go. “Never like that.” He looks around the office to see where Mr. Gordon was and he spots him at the refreshments table, drunk off of his ass, hanging off of Harvey Bullock who is just as wasted as him. “Come with me,” he says gazing into Oswald’s stunning sea-green eyes. He quickly takes Oswald by the hands and leads him into Mr. Gordon’s office.

“Edward, get your hands off of me,” Oswald says furiously once Edward closes the office door and he snatches his arm away from him.  “I don’t know what you think you’re doing, but I won’t stand for it!”

“I just want to talk to you. We can’t talk out there with everyone watching us.”

“I have nothing to say to you.”

“Fine… Well then just listen to me.” Edward takes a deep breath, readying himself to do something braver than performing a dare; telling the honest truth about the way he feels.  “I'm sorry,” he says sincerely. “I’m sorry I made you think I only wanted to kiss you because of a dare… I wanted to kiss you because I _really_ wanted to, but I was so scared that I used the game to hide my true feelings.”

Oswald gasps, taking in every word this man is spilling from the bottom of his heart.

“I adore you Oswald Cobblepot.” Edward smiles and holds Oswald’s hands again. “I have for the longest time. I just let other things get in the way of how I felt and at other times I didn’t think you felt the same.” He rubs his thumb over the back of Oswald’s hands. “But the way you acted out there only proved that I was wrong and that I should have tried to ask you out ages ago.”

Oswald stares up at the taller man, heart thumping rapidly in his narrow chest, hands trembling and sweating lightly. This isn’t the way he foresaw tonight unfolding. He thought he’d be the one to tell Edward his feelings and Ed would either reject him or they’d end up planning a real date by the end of the night. But Edward confessing to Oswald first nearly knocked all the wind out of him.  

“Edward, I—I came to this party tonight for only one reason, to tell you how much you mean to me. I had planned this whole elaborate speech all night tonight and now I don’t know what to say. You’ve stolen my heart and my words.”

“I've stolen your words,” Edward echoed, closing the gap between them. “I never meant to do that.”

“It’s okay. I think it’s a good thing.” Oswald reaches up and cups Edward’s cheek.  The man’s skin was smoother than had imagined. “We both know now that our feeling for each other isn’t unrequited.” Tears start to stain his face as he holds Ed’s hands dearly.

They gaze into each other’s eyes, longing at the love sparking in them. How could either of them never truly notice such a beautiful light shining brightly each time they look at each other.

Edward strokes the back of his hand down Oswald’s freckled cheek, drying his tears away, as he licks his lips in anticipation for the answer to his next question. “Can I kiss you, Oswald? Not because of a dare, but because I really need to. My heart will ache if I don’t.”

“I don’t want your heart to ache any longer,” Oswald says with a coy smile. “Yes, you can kiss me.”

Swiftly, Edward went in and kisses Oswald immediately, breathing in deeply through his nose as their lips finally connected.

Oswald, having no shame in claiming Edward as his own right here, right now, jumps into the man’s arms and wraps his legs around him.

Though Edward was taken by surprise, he loved Oswald’s boldness and held him securely in his strong arms, deepening their kiss by slipping his tongue inside.

“Mmm… ah,” Oswald grunts, gripping and clawing at the clothing covering Edward’s back.

Nothing but raw, animalistic, tension that has been building up between them for years is finally getting released in the privacy of their boss’ office…. Or, so they think it’s private.

Edward never bothered the close the shades that view out to the workspace with all the cubicles. He didn’t know they were open. And now Jerome, Ivy, and Bridget peek through the window, viewing a rather hot first kiss.

“I told you these two had hard-on’s for each other,” Jerome says proudly. He knew they’d end up this way whether he pushed them or not.

“How could we have not seen it,” Ivy comments still in disbelief.

“I had a feeling, but I needed to see this for myself.” Bridget shakes her head at the sight.

“Pay up, ladies!” He holds out his hand to receive the money he’s owed for the bet they made the moment Edward marched after Oswald.  

“The money is in my desk,” Ivy says.

“So is mine.”

They all turn away from the window to pay Jerome what they owe him.

Still, in Edward’s arms with his legs wrapped around him, Oswald suddenly breaks off the steamy kiss. “Did you hear something,” he asks breathily, looking around the office. He could have sworn he heard whispering.

“I didn’t hear a damn thing,” Edward pants, already missing the feeling of Oswald’s pink lips pressed firmly against his own.

“Oh, okay,” Oswald shrugs and continues to kiss Edward with all the passion he has for the man he fell in love with at first sight.


End file.
